Uninsured-Driver Dilemma

States Yank License Plates, Curb Lawsuits to Try to Prompt More People to Insure

By

Leslie Scism

Dec. 1, 2013 8:12 pm ET

Patrick McGehee and his wife were returning to his sister's Oklahoma City neighborhood from dinner when a driver plowed through a stop sign and crashed into the Jeep in which they were riding, sending them both to the hospital with serious injuries.

More bad news came several days after the 2011 accident, when they saw the police report: The at-fault driver didn't have insurance, making Mr. McGehee and his family responsible for thousands of dollars of health-care bills.